WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Virginia man sued two media outlets and seven individuals on Tuesday claiming he was defamed by false stories in which he was accused of helping stage unrest last summer in Charlottesville, Virginia, as part of an effort to undermine U.S. President Donald Trump.

Brennan Gilmore, 38, said in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Virginia that Alex Jones and his conservative website Infowars published stories that damaged his reputation and led to threats against him, including a letter that contained suspicious powder.

The lawsuit said the videos and articles were viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. Gilmore is seeking monetary damages of more than $75,000.

The“defendants thrive by inciting devastating real-world consequences with the lies they publish as‘news,’” the lawsuit said.